Blood Sisters: Neon Genesis Evangelion
by shanejayell
Summary: Ritsuko intends to help Misato, if she likes it or not!
1. Prologue

Blood Sisters: A Neon Genesis Evangelion Fanfiction Prologue  
  
Ritsuko Akagi sighed to herself softly, standing there in the living room looking down at the alcohol sodden form that was now sprawled out on the couch. The slim blonde had come over there to talk to Misato about the latest Angel attack, but it was pretty obvious that their discussion was going to have to wait until later. She bent down and got Misato's arm up over her shoulders, heaving the dark haired woman into a kind of fireman's carry  
  
"Whew," Ritsuko puffed out a breath as she staggered a bit under her friend, "Misato, you've got to loose some weight."  
  
With some effort Ritsuko avoided the random beer cans and got Misato down the hall, then heaving her into the rumpled bed. She covered her up with a sheet, pausing a moment to look down at her old schoolmate. Even dressed in just her rumpled old T-shirt and a pair of stretch pants, Misato could be damned attractive.  
  
'She'd be almost cute. Well, if she wasn't drooling so much, anyway,' Ritsuko noted it with some amusement.  
  
She made her way back up to the living room, being careful not to disturb the hopefully still sleeping Asuka and Shinji. Ritsuko picked her way through the messy floor, shaking her head at the piles of takeout containers, beer cans, and other litter. With a frown she saw what looked like a journal laying there, covered with Misato's generally messy hand writing. She felt just a bit guilty as she picked it up and read, but she rationalized it as best friend's privilege.  
  
"Some people say I'm a lush, that I drink too much," the angry scrawl read and Ritsuko could almost imagine Misato's voice speaking to her, "and maybe they're right. But they don't really understand the basic nature of my job."  
  
Ritsuko frowned to herself slightly as she read that, picking up the bitter tone of the words. "I knew she sometimes had problems," she murmured softly, "but..." Silently she resolved to have a little talk with a few of the spit and polish officers.  
  
The next bit was written out more boldly, "You see, my job is to send these kids out into battle, guide them, and maybe watch them die if I'm not quite good enough to save them. And I just don't know how much longer we're going to continue to be so damn lucky, how long until one of them just doesn't come back."  
  
Ritsuko closed the journal with a soft thump and set it back down roughly where she found it before worriedly looking up the long hallway to where her friend lay sleeping. 'What on earth do I do now?' she wondered.  
  
Silently she left, pulling the door shut behind her before Ritsuko strode down the hallway. She rode the elevator downstairs, her eyes dark with concern. Ritsuko had known Misato since school, but she had never gotten that feeling of... despair from her before. In all honestly, she hadn't thought that Misato was capable of such emotion.  
  
'That's unfair,' Ritsuko scolded herself as she stroke the streets of Tokyo Two. She hadn't expected Misato to form such a strong parental bond with Shinji, but that was exactly what she had done. 'And maybe that's the problem,' she admitted.  
  
She knew there was a great deal of stress coming from their ongoing battle with the Angels. And on Misato that was likely magnified, being the operational commander in most of the operations against the Angels. Combine that with having to send her 'children' out into battle again and again, and you had a recipe for a breakdown of one type or another.  
  
'Well, Dr. Akagi," Ritsuko thought to herself whimsically, 'now that you've identified the problem, what would you suggest for a cure?'  
  
She barely noticed reaching her building, unthinkingly walking over to the elevator and rising up several levels to her floor. Lost in her thoughts she wandered down the hallway, opening up her door and stepping inside.  
  
With a scowl Ritsuko picked up her pile of mail, idly wondering how on Earth so much junk mail could continue to be delivered even in a global crisis like this. She briskly flipped through them, "Bill, bill, magazine, letter, another bill, advertisement..." she stopped. She held up the brightly colored pamphlet and looked at it thoughtfully.  
  
"You know," Ritsuko murmured thoughtfully, "this might not be such a bad idea."  
  
The brightly colored fold out fell to the table even as she headed off to her own bed. "Take a relaxing break!" the brightly colored slogan read, "Visit the Hot Springs!"  
  
The next day, Ritsuko arranged a visit with Gendo. Sitting across the desk from him she silently reflected on the fact that Gendo Ikari was a great man. Not a likable one, certainly not the warmest or most pleasant of men, but still great.  
  
It wasn't often she saw Gendo show surprise, and she savored the moment as he peered over his glasses and asked, "You want to take them where?"  
  
Ritsuko smiled, "To the hotsprings for a short vacation." She sat back, "The three pilots, while operating well together in the field, still show a lack of unit cohesiveness. I believe such an excursion could help cement bonds of trust and loyalty between them, as well as providing a break from the stresses of being the Evangelion pilots."  
  
Gendo nodded thoughtfully, sitting back in his chair and lacing his fingers together. "And whom would be accompanying them?" he asked.  
  
"Myself and Misato," Ritsuko replied crisply.  
  
Gendo nodded to himself thoughtfully, and Ritsuko wondered what he was thinking about. The other Pilots? Ritsuko herself? Or even about his son, Shinji, whom he had recruited to pilot the Evangelion Unit 01 for him.  
  
"It all seems reasonable," Gendo initialed the authorization forms and then passed them over the desk to her.  
  
"Thank you, sir," Ritsuko smiled, turning and leaving once she had been dismissed.  
  
'He didn't even ask about Shinji,' Ritsuko mused a bit sadly as she strode down the hall. She shook herself, 'That is not my problem right now. What I have to figure out is how to offer my help to Misato without letting her know I read her journal.'  
  
"Easier said than done," Ritsuko sighed to herself.  
  
To be continued... 


	2. One

Blood Sisters: A Neon Genesis Evangelion Fanfiction Part One  
  
Misato Katsuragi fought back a sigh as she finished up her packing. 'This has to be the most harebrained scheme that they've come up with yet,' she mused. Still, she knew that the pilots could use a break, that being the only reason she was actually going along with it.  
  
Grabbing her bags from the top of her messy bed Misato stepped into the cluttered living room to find Asuka and Shinji standing there, a large bag resting beside each of them. "Are you ready to go?" she asked cheerfully.  
  
Asuka made a face, "I still think this is pretty silly."  
  
"Yeah," Shinji murmured softly.  
  
Misato fought back a sigh once again. "Maybe it is," she surprised them both by agreeing, "but we've all got our orders from the commander himself." She shrugged quite expressively, "We're going, if we like it or not."  
  
Asuka scowled but admitted, "I guess you're right."  
  
Shinji smiled up at Misato shyly, and once again Misato found herself wondering how anyone could be so utterly without self-confidence. 'I guess having a dad who sees you only as a chess piece doesn't help,' she thought. She quickly grabbed Shinji, putting him in a headlock, "And you are going to have a good time, got it?!"  
  
"Lemme go," Shinji laughed, "all right, all right!"  
  
Asuka watched them, a slight smile on her face as she shook her head. "If you two are done, could we please get going?"  
  
Misato moved towards her threateningly, "You want some, too?"  
  
"No, no," Asuka waved her hands as she backed away. She grabbed her bag and bolted out the door, "I'll meet you downstairs."  
  
"You're in a good mood," Shinji noted.  
  
"Guess I am," Misato admitted as they went out together. It was kind of nice to get away from work for a few days. She wished she could have brought Pen-pen along with them, but Makoto had promised to feed and care for him regularly.  
  
They left the building to find a small van waiting for them, side door open for passengers and the back open for baggage. Ritsuko Akagi leaned up against the side, and sitting in a composed, self contained way in the back seat was Rei Ayanami.  
  
"Rei's coming along too?' Shinji blurted, a bit of a flush to his cheeks.  
  
As the two got nearer to the van they heard Asuka talking to Rei, "Why are you coming on this little trip, Wondergirl? I thought someone as perfect as you didn't need vacations."  
  
"The commander thought it would be good for me," was Rei's calm answer.  
  
Misato shook her head slightly. "Rei, you get a window seat," she ordered crisply, "Shinji, you get in next, Asuka, you get in after him."  
  
"Nicely done," Ritsuko commented as the kids got in with a few soft grumbles.  
  
"Lots of practice," Misato smiled back as she made sure the bags were all loaded up in the back. Shutting it firmly she made her way around to the passenger's side door while Ritsuko climbed behind the wheel.  
  
"Did everyone grab their breakfast before you left?" Ritsuko asked as they pulled out.  
  
"I made sure my two were fed," Misato said dryly.  
  
From the back Asuka could be heard saying quite indignantly, "I am NOT hers!" Misato chuckled softly at that, but didn't say anything.  
  
"I had something already," Rei quietly said.  
  
Ritsuko made a face, "Not only did I have a breakfast but..." She reached down, pulling out a carefully wrapped package, "Maya made me a bento, just in case."  
  
Misato had to laugh. "I can so see that," she chuckled, thinking of the earnest young officer who had such a painfully obvious crush on Ritsuko.  
  
They drove on silently out of Tokyo-2, and Misato found herself listening to the conversation going on in the back seat as she looked over at Ritsuko. The blonde scientist drove well, using the same sort of skill that she applied to all of her tasks. The blue eyes were narrowed slightly, the finely shaped lips pulled up in a little smile.  
  
"What?" Ritsuko didn't even look away from her driving as she quietly asked, "Is there something on my face?"  
  
Misato actually felt herself blushing a bit, though she didn't quite know why. "Sorry," she made herself smile, "I guess I was just spacing out a bit."  
  
"Just don't think too hard," Ritsuko smiled slightly, "this is a vacation."  
  
Misato turned to look out the window, still feeling a slight flush to her cheeks. She had known Ritsuko for years, since they were roommates back in school. Sharing a room meant that they had seen just about everything of each other, but she had never felt something like this.  
  
'I haven't been laid in a while,' she reminded herself firmly, 'that must be it.' She looked over at Ritsuko, "So what's the plan?"  
  
"We've got three days booked at the springs," Ritsuko cheerfully related, "we'll get checked in tonight, maybe even have enough time to quickly visit the springs, too. Then tomorrow we'll check out all the place has to offer."  
  
"However much that might be," Asuka said dryly.  
  
"It might not be that bad," Shinji offered. Asuka sighed loudly in reply.  
  
Quietly Rei added, "I've never been to the hot springs before."  
  
"It's very relaxing, soothing both body and mind," Ritsuko said firmly.  
  
"Or boring, depending on how you look at it," Asuka scowled.  
  
"Asuka," Misato's voice had an odd, almost singsong quality as she said, "remember we're all under orders."  
  
Asuka kept on frowning, but otherwise didn't add anything more.  
  
It was nearing twilight when they moved through the little town up to the hot springs itself. The old woman beamed as the five of them got out, then hurried over to Ritsuko's side. There was a whispered consultation and the oddest look appeared on Ritsuko's face.  
  
"What's wrong?" Misato moved from supervising the unloading of the baggage.  
  
"They only have three rooms left," Ritsuko frowned slightly, "not the five that were originally booked for us."  
  
Misato looked over the three pilots, then back at Ritsuko. "I don't see much option," she shrugged, "Shinji in one room, and we ladies share the other two."  
  
"That's going to go over well with them," Ritsuko looked over at Rei and Asuka thoughtfully.  
  
A wicked little smile teased Misato's lips. "Put them together," she offered, "it might help them get along a bit better."  
  
"If they don't kill each other," Ritsuko said dubiously.  
  
Checking the time the group was broken up into their rooms, and Misato had to shake her head slightly as Asuka tried to start a fight with Rei as they walked back to their room. She opened up the room, sighing in relief as she saw the two futons laid out on the floor.  
  
"Misato," Ritsuko came into the room behind her. Misato looked back at the slim blonde, and was a bit surprised to see the anxious look on her pretty face. She took a breath, "There's something I have to confess..."  
  
Misato smiled slightly, waiting. Softly she asked her, "Were you going to tell me that you read part of my journal?"  
  
Ritsuko looked at her in shock.  
  
To be continued... 


	3. Two

Blood Sisters: A Neon Genesis Evangelion Fanfiction Part Two  
  
Ritsuko sat there looking at Misato, oddly feeling like she'd been hit in the back of the head with a board. 'She knew?' she thought weakly, 'I've been feeling guilty about reading her journal, and she knew about it all along?'  
  
"How did you know?" Ritsuko finally managed to ask, looking over at the dark haired young woman standing there beside her.  
  
"I know I'm a slob," Misato smiled slightly as she walked over to one of the futons, sitting herself down in the middle of it, "but I usually know where my stuff is. I could tell it had been moved, so..." Misato shrugged slightly.  
  
Ritsuko walked over to her own futon, sitting down so that she was facing the smiling Misato. 'Well, at least she's not upset,' she mused. "I'm sorry about reading it," she smiled slightly, "it was open when I picked it up." Misato's eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at her, and Ritsuko felt a sudden flutter of nervousness.  
  
"And what bit did you read?" Misato asked softly.  
  
Ritsuko hesitated, trying to read her expression. Finally she sighed softly, "I don't remember it all exactly, but you were obviously angry. About people calling you a lush, not understanding what you were going through. And...." she trailed off.  
  
Misato sat there, her eyes dark. "And?"  
  
Ritsuko continued on reluctantly, "That your job was to send the kids out to battle, and to watch them die if you weren't good enough."  
  
Misato flopped back on the futon, looking up at the old fashioned roof of their room. "You set this trip up so that we could talk, didn't you?" she asked.  
  
Ritsuko smiled wryly, feeling a bit amused at being so transparent to her old friend. "Pretty much," she conceded. With an sinking feeling she realized that she had underestimated her friend rather badly, both with the journal and after. 'I didn't even credit her with that sort of intelligence,' she admitted to herself.  
  
Misato turned on the futon, leaning on an elbow. She gave Ritsuko a little smile, "Thanks for the thought, but it isn't really necessary."  
  
"I'm not so sure of that," Ritsuko answered softly. Misato looked back at her, the younger woman's eyes dark, almost entirely unreadable.  
  
"Don't we need to start getting ready for bed?" Misato asked, getting up off of the futon once again. She shrugged off her red jacket smoothly, the black top that she usually wore underneath clinging to her body.  
  
With a soft sigh Ritsuko accepted the change in topic. "I'm not letting it go that easily," she warned Misato quietly as she got up to walk over to her bags. She rummaged around for her night clothes, turning around only to stop cold.  
  
Misato's top hit the floor, revealing that she wasn't wearing a bra. Her breasts weren't overly large, but they were perky and with out any signs of sag. Misato noticed her gaze and smiled slightly, "They aren't all that different from when we were roommates."  
  
"I don't remember you running around our rooms topless that often," Ritsuko replied.  
  
Misato slid her black pants to the floor, wiggling her hips a bit to get free. Thankfully she was wearing panties, though the lacy, delicate underwear weren't all that much of a concealment. "That's because of all the rumors that were going around school that you were bisexual," Misato said casually as she slipped into a nightie, "I didn't want to take any chances."  
  
"What?" Ritsuko blurted, feeling the blood rushing from her face.  
  
"You didn't know?" Misato looked at her in surprise. She smiled slightly, "I thought the rumor would have worked it's way back to you eventually."  
  
Ritsuko scowled, "No, I did not know!"  
  
A blush settled across Ritsuko's cheeks as the blonde remembered the house party that she had attended as a junior. The beautiful orange haired senior with the knowing hands had gently pulled her into a empty bedroom, laying her out onto the bed. Ritsuko sighed softly, 'Obviously we didn't slip away unobserved.'  
  
"Don't worry about it," Misato said quietly. She looked the still fully clothed Ritsuko up and down, "Aren't you getting ready for bed?"  
  
"Uh, right," Ritsuko stammered. She pulled her own shirt off over her head, then her pants hit the floor. She was just a bit surprised to feel Misato's gaze resting on her, and she took her time slipping her pajama top and bottom on.  
  
"Little old fashioned," Misato noted with a little smile.  
  
"They're comfortable," Ritsuko shrugged slightly. She walked over to her futon, kneeling down there as Misato took a seat opposite her.  
  
"So has Maya seen those yet?" Misato teased her as she lay down on her futon, just like they had dome back when they were both a lot younger. Ritsuko found herself looking over at her blankly and Misato shook her head in exasperation, "She's got such a crush on you, Ritsuko! Haven't you done anything about it yet?"  
  
Ritsuko felt her cheeks reddening as she thought, 'What happened to my plan to grill her?' she wondered as she tried to regain some of her tattered composure. "Just because she has a crush on me," Ritsuko tried to maintain her dignity from where she was laying there on her back, "doesn't mean I'm interested in her."  
  
"Probably too butchy for you," Misato smirked.  
  
Ritsuko restrained herself, barely, from giving her first answer. "Maya's cute," she admitted, "but she's not my type." Silently she added, 'And then there's Gendo.'  
  
"And I suppose Gendo wouldn't much approve," Misato sighed, rolling over on her side to look at Ritsuko impishly.  
  
Ritsuko nearly sat up in surprise, groaning softly. "I'm not even going to ask how you know about that," she sighed.  
  
"When you're having a quickie in a control room," Misato's smirk was obvious in her voice, "make sure ALL the security cameras are off."  
  
"Oh, god," Ritsuko muttered, covering her face with a pillow while Misato laughed. The two of them finally settled into bed, relaxing as they put the lights out.  
  
The voice came out of the near darkness as Misato asked, "What the hell am I going to do if one of them does die?"  
  
'At last,' Ritsuko thought with some relief. "You'll know that you did your very best to prepare them," she answered softly, "and that it wasn't your fault."  
  
A moment of silence, "Shin-chan nearly went home once, you know. If I hadn't gone to see him off, he probably would have left this craziness."  
  
"His father would have brought him back," Ritsuko said it firmly before quietly adding, "and with you, he's happier."  
  
"Poor kid," Misato's voice was sad.  
  
"If you weren't here," Ritsuko's voice was soft, "he, Asuka and Rei wouldn't have anyone in their corner. There'd just be cold scientists like me or bastards like Gendo around."  
  
Misato actually sounded a bit surprised, "You're not that bad."  
  
Ritsuko smiled slightly, noting Misato hadn't contradicted her about Gendo. 'If only you knew,' Ritsuko thought about some of the things that were going on at Nerv. "Trust me, I am," she answered Misato firmly. Bringing them back on topic she said, "You've helped these kids a lot, and not just as their commander."  
  
There was such a long silence that Ritsuko thought that Misato had fallen asleep. "Thank you," Misato finally said softly.  
  
Ritsuko smiled, even though she knew her friend probably couldn't see it. "You're welcome," she said softly, "now let's get some sleep. We've got the hotsprings to do tomorrow."  
  
"And tomorrow we get to hear Asuka complain about sharing a room with Rei," Misato added dryly. "I can hardly wait."  
  
To shared laughter they lay back down to sleep...  
  
To be continued! 


	4. Three

Blood Sisters: A Neon Genesis Evangelion Fanfiction Part Three  
  
Misato didn't really know what it was that had woken her up. The calling of the birds, maybe, or sunlight coming through the paper-screen walls. It might have just been a gentle breeze that was coming through the rooms of the inn they were staying in, there beside the hot-springs. Whatever it was, the dark haired woman found herself laying there wide awake, gazing across at the figure who was sleeping not far away.  
  
Ritsuko's shoulder length hair fell into her eyes, a messy looking blonde mop, her face rendered almost childlike in the grip of sleep. She lay stretched out on her back, round breasts rising and falling with her breath, those long legs sleek under the blanket.  
  
Misato sat there, studying her for a few moments, a bit of red to her cheeks. Back when they were roommates, she had thought a few times about Ritsuko. All the rumors about her and Arisugawa had been doing the rounds, and living with Ritsuko gave Misato plenty of opportunities to study her beauty. There had been moments where she had been tempted to climb into that bed, but each time she had restrained herself.  
  
If Misato was honest with herself, she was scared of possible rejection. Ritsuko was her best friend, and a failed... encounter between them would have complicated that immensely. "And who knows what her type is?" Misato murmured.  
  
Ritsuko shifted, her eyes opening as she looked up at Misato blearily. "Who's type?" she asked, blinking away sleepiness.  
  
"Sorry, I was just thinking aloud about... Asuka," Misato lied.  
  
"You think she and Rei?" Ritsuko asked, giving her a sleepily confused look.  
  
"Well, her and almost anybody," Misato commented honestly. She made a face, "She seems only to be interested in the most inappropriate men."  
  
Ritsuko smirked in reply, looking cutely impish, and Misato felt just a bit relieved she did not bring up her boyfriend Kagi. She sat up, stretching her arms, her pajama's pulling tightly, and Misato had to forcefully pull her gaze away from those rising breasts.  
  
'What's coming over me?' Misato wondered.  
  
"I guess we'd better get up," Ritsuko offered, sliding out from under the covers and stepping on the sunwarmed floor boards.  
  
Misato nodded, standing up beside her, "Yeah, I guess so." She smiled wryly, "We should go see if Asuka and Rei killed each other yet."  
  
"No way," Ritsuko walked down the hallway just beside her, the smell of cooking food growing stronger as they walked towards the kitchen, "Asuka might kill Rei, but that's it."  
  
"Oh, I don't know," Misato mused, "I think Rei has some hidden depths."  
  
"Who has hidden depths?" Shinji asked curiously, dressed in his dark blue pajamas.  
  
The brown haired young man was sitting there comfortably at the kitchen's old-fashioned wooden table. The old woman who ran the place had just finished dishing up the pajama clad boy some food from the pans and pots on the stove. She set the plate in front of Shinji and seeing the two women come in she got out more plates.  
  
"Rei, actually," Ritsuko offered cheerfully, walking over and getting two mugs down before pouring out coffee. She prepared the two cups, turning around to pass one over to Misato with a smile, "Here you go."  
  
Misato took a long draught of the coffee, then she stopped to blurt, "Just the way I like it." She looked at Ritsuko in a bit of surprise before murmuring, "You remembered?"  
  
"Wasn't all that hard," Ritsuko smiled slightly.  
  
Misato felt herself blushing once again under that gaze as she murmured, "Thank you." She took another drink, hiding her face.  
  
They heard familiar voices coming up the long hallway, the sound of two women arguing softly. "I can't believe how loudly you snore," Asuka complained.  
  
"I do not snore," Rei answered mildly.  
  
"Oh yes you do," Asuka said as the two walked into the room together. She wore an orange robe over her red pajamas, while Rei wore ice blue. Asuka gave Shinji a look and added, "I almost wish I was sharing a room with Shinji!"  
  
"Good morning," Ritsuko said mildly.  
  
"Aren't there any other rooms available?" Asuka complained. She smiled at them as sweetly as possible, "I'm sure that one of you could move in with the snoring Wonder-girl."  
  
"I do not snore," Rei repeated a bit more firmly.  
  
"Wish I had a recorder with me last night," Asuka muttered.  
  
"A-hem!" Misato cleared her throat loudly enough to make the others jump. Once she was sure she had all their attention she continued on, "Play nice, please. Anyone who doesn't want to gets to sleep out in the van until we go back home, got it?" There was a bit of muffled grumbling, but the younger people settled down to eat some breakfast.  
  
"You know," Ritsuko said a short time later when the others had left to get dressed, "you sounded just like a parent there."  
  
Misato shuddered, visibly. "No thank you," she said, looking away from Ritsuko's amused gaze, "pain is not my friend. I have no plans to have children."  
  
"I wonder if that's why you care so much about the pilots and their safety," Ritsuko murmured thoughtfully.  
  
Misato nearly dropped her second mug of coffee, she was so startled. "I never really thought about it that way," she admitted softly. "Not that I'd want to be Shinji's biological mother, because, no offense, but being involved with Gendo is not a pleasant idea, but.." Misato shook her head.  
  
"Take it easy," Ritsuko reached out to put her hand on Misato's arm, and the dark haired woman felt a flash of warmth, "I could be wrong, you know."  
  
'I'm losing it,' Misato thought, trying to drive the sudden flush she felt away. "Maybe," she managed, "but you could also be right." She smiled slightly, "But what do I do about it?"  
  
"Carry on," Ritsuko answered firmly, "do your best for the kids, and know that you did everything you could for them." A pause, "Just like you're doing now."  
  
Misato looked into her nearly empty mug, drinking the last of the coffee. "Thanks," she said, then softly continued, "sorry for being so damn needy."  
  
"Anytime," Ritsuko squeezed Misato's arm gently. "We'd better go get dressed," she said calmly, "the others are going to be dressed and gone, soon."  
  
Misato closed her eyes a moment, fighting her rebellious body. 'I am not getting turned on by my best friend,' she told herself firmly, 'I am NOT.' Her voice was a bit strangled sounding as she answered, "Good idea."  
  
"What's taking you?" Asuka complained, passing by in the hallway fully clothed.  
  
"As I said," Ritsuko said wryly. Both women retreated to their shared room, and Misato tried very hard not to look at Ritsuko. Therefore, she only got distracted once or twice, especially when Ritsuko was getting her shirt on.  
  
'Definitely losing it,' Misato thought to herself glumly. She did notice one or two lingering glances coming from Ritsuko, and felt a little better, somehow.  
  
They went out to the resort town attached to the hot-springs first, and surprisingly had a pretty good time. There was an arcade where Asuka, Rei and Shinji demonstrated some remarkable skills with the games, and even Misato and Ritsuko avoided embarrassing themselves. They sampled from various food stalls, trying various dishes, and even went into a kareoke parlor for a bit.  
  
Shinji was, of course, hopeless, but he had fun. Asuka was a little better, having the guts to project her voice and sing with real confidence. Rei picked out a ballad, and Misato was just a bit surprised as the depth she brought to the song. Then Ritsuko took her turn...  
  
"Do I have to do this?" Ritsuko complained as Asuka tugged her forward.  
  
"Everyone else but we have," Misato smiled, sipping from a can of beer, "and I haven't drank enough to take my turn yet."  
  
"All right, all right," Ritsuko sighed. She ran through the selection, then smiled slightly. "A bit odd," she muttered, "but I liked it."  
  
"What?" Rei asked.  
  
Ritsuko didn't answer, instead she began to sing,  
  
"And you don't seem to understand  
A shame you seemed an honest man  
And all the fears you hold so dear  
Will turn to whisper in your ear  
And you know what they say might hurt you  
And you know that it means so much  
And you don't even feel a thing  
  
I am falling, I am fading  
I have lost it all"  
  
"That was grim," Misato finally murmured. She looked over at her blonde friend, wondering why she might choose such a song, and felt a bit ashamed. She had been so distracted by her unruly hormones, she hadn't considered that something might be going on with her.  
  
"I liked it," Ritsuko looked up to meet Misato's eyes, and the two women stood there, frozen for a long moment.  
  
To be continued..  
  
Author's Note: the song Ritsuko sings is Duvet, the opening theme from Serial Experiments Lain. 


	5. Four

Blood Sisters: A Neon Genesis Evangelion Fanfiction Part Four  
  
"I liked it." Ritsuko defended her song, meeting Misato's eyes. She almost felt like she was falling as she looked into her old friends eyes, and had to bodily pull herself away.  
  
"So who's turn is it now?" Misato asked curiously.  
  
Rei said deadpan, "Yours."  
  
Misato finished off her can of beer, putting it down on the table. "You're going to regret this," she warned the others cheerfully as she got up and she walked to the front. "Brace yourselves," she picked up the mic. with a smile, a bit of red to her cheeks.  
  
'Damn she's cute,' Ritsuko thought.  
  
"Go, Misato!" Asuka laughed.  
  
"Fly me to the moon, and let me play among the stars,  
Let's see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars,  
In other words, please by true,  
In other words, I love you,"  
  
Misato sang out cheerfully, vamping it up a bit up on the stage. It might have been Ritsuko's imagination, but she almost thought that Misato was singing to her...  
  
"Not too bad," Ritsuko managed, a bit of a blush to her own cheeks as Misato wobbled towards her seat.  
  
"So what do we do now?" Asuka asked them curiously as Shinji took another turn at kareoke, softly signing a sad song.  
  
"Well, we haven't actually visited the hotsprings yet," Rei offered.  
  
"Good idea," Misato grinned.  
  
Ritsuko hesitated before nodding slightly. Privately she wasn't sure if it was a good idea to be naked around Misato, especially with the direction her thoughts were going lately. Still, she couldn't stop the others just because she was having problems with her imagination.  
  
"Then let's go," Shinji smiled as they left the kareoke box and then headed back up the road towards the hotsprings inn. They moved in two groups, Shinji, Rei and Asuka in one and Misato and Ritsuko paired up in the other.  
  
"Is it me," Ritsuko said to Misato softly as they walked, feeling a bit of a blush on her cheeks as she studied her intently, "or are those three getting along a bit better?"  
  
"Yeah, maybe," Misato looked back covertly, "though it could be all the beer they've drank." She smirked, "Let's see how they do once they sober up."  
  
"Point," Ritsuko admitted. She nearly froze as Misato slipped her arm in hers, and she blinked in surprise as the shorter woman leaned in to her. "What are you doing?" she squeaked.  
  
"Getting comfortable," Misato said softly. She looked up at Ritsuko, and the blonde felt a blush on her cheeks as Misato continued, "I want to talk to you later."  
  
"Ah, right," Ritsuko blinked as they reached the building.  
  
Shinji headed for they men's side as the rest of them walked into the changing room. Ritsuko quite deliberately kept her eyes down as they stripped off their clothes, folding up and storing them away in little cubicles. Still, she found herself sneaking glances as Misato gracefully undressed.  
  
Misato looked up to meet her watching eyes, and Ritsuko felt her cheeks go bright red. "Oh," she looked down quickly in embarrassment at being caught peeping.  
  
Misato just smiled, "It's all right."  
  
"What's taking you?" Asuka asked, a long towel wrapped around her as she stood at the door to the springs themselves.  
  
"Right," Misato gave her a cheerful wave. She quickly finished, tossing her panties into the box as she wrapped a towel around her before giving Ritsuko a nod, "Ready?"  
  
"I think so," Ritsuko croaked out.  
  
"Then come on," Misato grabbed the blushing Ritsuko's hand and dragged her outside.  
  
"Ah, this is nice," Rei sighed as she settled into the hot water gracefully, her short blue hair damp in the steam.  
  
"It's not bad at all," Asuka softly agreed from her own spot beside her, both leaning up against the stone wall of the pool.  
  
Misato laughed as she yelled, "Banzai!" With a little hop she jumped right in, sending water splashing over the two young women.  
  
Ritsuko chuckled softly as she slipped into the water, watching the two girls lecturing Misato who quite cheerfully ignored them. Misato shook her head, the water flowing off her body, and Ritsuko gulped as she took in the water soaked towel clinging to every curve.  
  
"You'll never grow up, will you?" Ritsuko managed to get out.  
  
"Oh, I don't know," Misato shrugged as she settled down. She waved to the spot on the stone seat beside her, "Why don't you take a seat?"  
  
Not trusting herself to answer, she wadded over and settled in beside her. "That does feel good," Ritsuko admitted with a smile.  
  
"Poor Shinji," Asuka smirked, "over on the far side all alone."  
  
"No, he's not," Rei explained to them calmly as she pointed to one side, "he's peeking at us over the wall over there."  
  
"What?!" Asuka, Misato and Ritsuko yelled as they jumped up, seeing a familiar looking face poking up where Rei pointed.  
  
"Shinji!" Asuka roared as she charged.  
  
"Oh, hell," Shinji's head disappeared very quickly as he tried to get away.  
  
As Asuka yelled out dire threats at the rapidly fleeing Shinji, Ritsuko leaned up against the wall and laughed softly. At Rei and Misato's curious glances she explained, "Well, at least we know he's a normal teenager in that way."  
  
"Let's hope that Asuka doesn't get her hands on him," Misato said as she settled in by Ritsuko, "or he'll be a normal dead teenager."  
  
"I'd better go help," Rei moved through the water, walking up the steps and going back into the changing rooms again.  
  
"Help Shinji or Asuka?" Ritsuko mused.  
  
"Who knows?" Misato chuckled softly.  
  
Ritsuko looked over at Misato, the dark haired woman longing there so comfortably. A thought struck her, "Didn't you say you wanted to talk to me later?"  
  
"I guess this is private enough," Misato agreed.  
  
'Private?' Ritsuko looked over at her in surprise, 'Why do we need to be private?'  
  
"For this," Misato leaned over, gently pressing her lips to the startled Ritsuko's.  
  
After a moment of stunned shock Ritsuko leaned into the kiss, enjoying the feeling of her friend's gentle kiss. The tip of Misato's tongue slid past Ritsuko's parted lips, and with a shudder she let it in. A few seconds later they slid apart, breaths coming faster.  
  
"Are you.. I mean, why.." Ritsuko stammered.  
  
Misato met her eyes. "I'm not drunk, and this isn't an impulse," she said gravely. A slight smile, "If you don't want this, just tell me and we'll both try to forget this ever happened."  
  
Ritsuko reached out to gently cup Misato's face, hearing the fear in that warm voice. "I don't think I could forget a kiss like that," she said softly.  
  
"Oh, really?" Misato slid a bit closer in the warm water, her hands reaching out to gently stroke along Ritsuko's legs.  
  
"Ah," Ritsuko gasped softly. She looked up at the blonde and smiled weakly, "Do you think we should maybe go somewhere more private?"  
  
Misato tugged gently, pulling Ritsuko up to her feet. "Lets go," she said quietly.  
  
To be continued.. 


	6. Final

Blood Sisters: A Neon Genesis Evangelion Fanfiction Part Five  
  
Misato saw Ritsuko looking over at her, and she had to fight down her nervousness to continue just longing there, looking so comfortable. Ritsuko frowned at her slightly, "Didn't you say you wanted to talk to me later?"  
  
Misato took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She checked to see if the pilots were still gone before saying, "I guess this is private enough."  
  
'Private?' Ritsuko looked over at her in surprise, 'Why do we need to be private?'  
  
"For this," Misato leaned over a little before gently pressing her lips to the startled Ritsuko's. After a moment of stunned shock Ritsuko leaned into the kiss, clearly enjoying the gentle kiss. Misato let the tip of her tongue slip past Ritsuko's parted lips, and with a shudder the other woman let it in. A few seconds later they slid apart, their breaths coming faster.  
  
"Are you.. I mean, why.." Ritsuko stammered out, the blonde looking so very beautiful there in the moonlight.  
  
Misato met her eyes, trying to put all of her sincerity into her next few words. "I'm not drunk, and this isn't just an sudden impulse," she said to her gravely. A slight smile and Misato felt a deep pain as she continued on, "If you really don't want this, just tell me and we'll both try to forget that any of this ever happened."  
  
Ritsuko reached out to gently cup Misato's face, and Misato felt herself shudder under that touch. "I don't think I could forget a kiss like that," Ritsuko said softly.  
  
"Oh, really?" Misato smiled devilishly. She slid a bit closer in the warm water, her hands reaching out to gently stroke along Ritsuko's legs, savoring the feeling of the silken flesh. Her hands slid up to the thighs, and she looked up to meet Ritsuko's eyes.  
  
"Ah," Ritsuko gasped out softly at that touch, the blonde's cheeks glowing bright red in the near darkness. She looked up at Misato and smiled at her weakly, "Do you think we should maybe go somewhere more private?"  
  
Misato got out of the water, her towel still firmly wrapped around her as she gently tugged, pulling Ritsuko up to her feet. "Let's go," she said quietly.  
  
Together they went into the changing room, grabbing at their clothes and moving on, still just garbed in their simple towels. "I'm glad you're not getting dressed," Ritsuko looked over and smiled happily, "you look good in just that."  
  
"Thanks," Misato agreed, squeezing the hand that had been slipped into her own. They padded down the hall barefoot, sliding the screen door open for their room. Ritsuko went in first, then Misato slid the door shut behind her.  
  
Ritsuko walked over to the two futons, then stopped. She looked up, and Misato saw fear and worry in those eyes as she asked, "Are you sure?"  
  
Misato walked over there, reaching out to gently take the blonde's hands in her own. She brought Ritsuko's hands up to her mouth, gently kissing the backs, her hair blowing around her face from the slight breeze.  
  
"I've wanted to do that since university," Misato admitted, then with a little smile she added, "And much more, too."  
  
"Me, too," Ritsuko admitted, and she stepped forward to kiss Misato once again.  
  
This time Ritsuko was a bit more daring, letting her passion free, and Misato welcomed it gladly. Their bodies pressed together, the kiss deepening as Ritsuko's hand slid down her back. The ties holding the towel up untied easily, and it fell with a wet thump to the floor.  
  
"Let me look at you," Ritsuko said softly.  
  
Misato felt suddenly nervous as her old friend stepped back, looking her over frankly. She was suddenly reminded of the pounds she needed to loose, the one breast that was a bit larger than the other, when she had last shaved her legs, or trimmed somewhere else..  
  
"What are you smiling at?" Misato finally had to ask.  
  
"You're so lovely," Ritsuko said to her simply, her husky voice and eyes clearly showing the depths of her desire.  
  
Misato felt her cheeks color, but she smiled. "Good," she stepped up to Ritsuko, putting her hands on the towel, "It's your turn to show all."  
  
Ritsuko gasped softly as Misato let her head rest on her shoulder, her warm breath blowing across her neck. Misato slipped her hands across the top of the towel where the ties were, then she let them slide down. The ribs and sides were lovingly stroked, then the hands reached down to cup the round orbs of the ass.  
  
"Just getting to know the territory," Misato said wickedly.  
  
"Remember this," Ritsuko gasped out, "I'm going to have you on your back, bare naked and completely defenseless."  
  
Misato chuckled softly, "Of course." She slid her hands back up to the ties, untying the strands and letting the towel fall to the floor.  
  
"Going to take a look?" Ritsuko asked, letting Misato step back a bit. She tilted her head to the side, "I believe you do know I'm not a natural blonde."  
  
Misato didn't answer that, letting her eyes openly take in the beautiful body standing before her, instead of the furtive glances she had taken before. Even in university she hadn't had such a chance, and she savored it. "You're so beautiful," Misato smiled.  
  
"Come here," Ritsuko's voice had dropped to a throaty purr.  
  
Misato took that outstretched hand, both of them sliding down onto the two futons. The blankets were already rumpled, both of their bodies laying there side by side. They kissed again, Misato letting her fingers tangle in that soft blonde hair, then they separated reluctantly.  
  
"I should let you know," Misato felt herself blushing slightly as she continued, "that I've never actually done this before." A soft, warm laugh, "Thought about it a few times, especially with you, but not actually done it."  
  
Ritsuko chuckled softly. "It's been a long time," she admitted, reaching out to gently trace a finger down Misato's neck towards her shoulders, "but I feel it all coming back to me."  
  
"I'm so glad," Misato murmured.  
  
With a sudden move Ritsuko rolled them over, putting Misato on her back. The blonde smiled down at her, "Got you now."  
  
Misato shivered as Ritsuko kissed her throat, then down to the curve of her shoulders. She gasped, nipples teased by so expert fingers. A wet. raspy tongue stroked along her flesh, tracing those round orbs before settling on the nipples to suck gently.  
  
"Ah," Misato shuddered as the teeth teased a hard nipple.  
  
"Glad to see that I haven't lost my touch," Ritsuko murmured, leaving the breasts to slide down even farther.  
  
Misato squealed, giggling as hands slid along ticklish ribs, a gentle kiss landing on the curve of her belly. "I'd say you're gifted," Misato managed breathlessly.  
  
"You haven't seen anything yet," Ritsuko smiled wickedly before moving down to that dark triangle, soon taking away all of Misato's ability to have rational thought...  
  
... it was hours later, the sun rising when they lay there, tangled and sweaty on the sheets. "That was incredible," Misato sighed softly. She smiled, reaching out to push blonde hair out of Ritsuko's eyes, "I hope I didn't disappoint you."  
  
"You were inspired," Ritsuko chuckled softly.  
  
Misato felt herself blushing, looking away. She had been an eager and dedicated student, practicing all that she had learned through the night. They lay there in the silence, Ritsuko reaching over to gently run her fingers through her hair, her expression oddly contemplative. "What's wrong?" Misato asked softly, looking into Ritsuko's eyes.  
  
Ritsuko smiled at her sadly. "This.. this can't continue, can it?" she asked her softly. Misato was about to speak up when she continued on, "I have my obligations, and you know that the pilots all depend on you."  
  
Misato rolled over on her back, sighing softly. "I guess not," she finally admitted softly, "but I won't forget about this night, either."  
  
"Me, too," Ritsuko agreed. They slipped into another kiss, then noises out from the hallway disturbed them. "Guess the pilots are up," she added.  
  
"We'd better make sure that Asuka and Rei didn't kill Shinji," Misato sighed, getting to her feet. She grabbed a robe, pulling it on tiredly. "Coming?"  
  
"Always," Ritsuko rose to follow her with a smile.  
  
The End.  
  
Epilogue  
  
General Misato Katsuragi watched Maya and Ritsuko leaving from the window, a slight smile on her face. It had been nearly a year ago, but the memory still stirred something within her. She and Ritsuko hadn't talked about it when they went back to NERV, and when things got bad and crazy she had lost sight of that.. tenderness.  
  
Thankfully, they had all been given a second chance at happiness. She looked back into the room, smiling fondly as Rei and Asuka talked softly, sharing some of the celebratory cake. Maya had been promoted just today, and if her less that subtle hints to Ritsuko did the job, the two might be getting together later tonight.  
  
'You deserve to be happy, Rits-chan,' Misato thought to her old friend, 'and I know that Maya does that for you.'  
  
"Misato," Asuka called out to her, "come have some more cake!"  
  
"Right, right," Misato walked over to their side, feeling warm at the friendship in both Asuka and Rei's eyes. 'I made a lot of mistakes,' she mused, 'but at least this is good.'  
  
"Misato?" Rei looked up at her curiously with those innocent reddish eyes.  
  
Misato smiled, "Yes?"  
  
"Have you ever had a girlfriend, like Ritsuko and Maya?" Rei asked innocently.  
  
Misato blinked down at her, and before Asuka could scold the girl she smiled. "Once, yes," Misato smiled, "maybe one day I'll tell you about it..."  
  
Authors Notes: For those who don't read my other series, this is a tie in with my fic Evangelion: Third Genesis, and the party that Misato is attending is around Part Twelve of that fic. The idea for this story came from a challenge to do a romance for Misato and Ritsuko, hopefully believably. I'm not quite sure if this pulls it off, but I tried. My knowledge of EVA is still pretty limited, from seeing a few episodes, reading mangas, and watching the two EVA movies, so if I got something BADLY wrong, let me know. Review, please! I may also do a more... explicit version for www.adultfanfiction.net if I get enough requests. 


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